The back-and-forth dispute between Alex Rodriguez, left, and the Yankees is not likely to end cordially. / William Perlman, The (Newark) Star-Ledger via USA TODAY Sports

by Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY Sports

by Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY Sports

The New York Yankees and Alex Rodriguez promised Thursday to stop fighting.

No more name-calling.

No more accusations and condemnations.

And no more secret doctors, mysterious MRI results, media blitzes and whispers about committing fraudulent acts.

The peace treaty lasted, oh, for about two hours.

That was roughly span between Rodriguez and the Yankees issuing play-nice statements and Rodriguez picking up the telephone and calling good friend Mike Francesa of WFAN for a brief interview.

Rodriguez was asked point-blank, do you trust the Yankees?

"I'd rather not get into that,'' Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez instead reminded everyone, once again, that he is healthy. He's ready to play. And he's willing to jump on a plane right now and play third base against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium.

Yet he says the Yankees just won't let him, and that his attorney is documenting absolutely everything the Yankees are doing.

If nothing else, after yet another dizzying day of statements, accusations and denials, we finally do have clarity.

Alex Rodriguez will never again play for the New York Yankees.

Certainly, not if the Yankees can help it.

It doesn't matter that the Yankees' third basemen are hitting .217 with four homers all season. It doesn't even matter that this collection of third basemen has all of the charisma and star power as ballpark peanut vendors.

They don't even want Rodriguez as their designated hitter. The Yankees acquired Alfonso Soriano from the Chicago Cubs for a minor-league pitching prospect.

Soriano will now be their DH.

The Yankees would rather fly the Boston Red Sox's World Series flags at Yankee Stadium than see Rodriguez step on the field again.

The Yankees are disgusted by him. They want him out of their lives. And they want Major League Baseball to suspend Rodriguez into eternity.

The Yankees no longer are concerning themselves with the race to win the American League East, but the race to see whether Commissioner Bud Selig can banish Rodriguez before he gets healthy.

The suspension is coming. And it's going to be a whopper. Rodriguez will be suspended a minimum of 100 games, maybe even 150 games, possibly longer.

MLB investigators believe they got him, just like they nailed Ryan Braun, with notebooks filled with evidence from Biogenesis director Anthony Bosch.

Rodriguez plans to fight. He vows to appeal any suspension, battling right to the end, waiting for a decision rendered by arbitrator Fredric Horowitz.

And the idea of a delay terrifies the Yankees.

Major League Baseball can accuse Rodriguez of being a serial doper, introducing dozens of players to Biogenesis, and even attempting to destroy all of the evidence with suitcases full of cash.

Yet as long as Rodriguez appeals any suspension, and he insists he will since he denies all allegations, there's nothing the Yankees can do about it.

Rodriguez, and any other player charged with performance-enhancing drug ties to Biogenesis, have until 20 days to file a grievance. Horowitz has 25 days to render a decision, longer if other players are suspended before Rodriguez. And while everyone sweats out the appeal process, Rodriguez is permitted to play.

And no one can stop him.

But, oh, the Yankees can sure try.

Rodriguez is convinced the Yankees are stopping him from playing now, adamant that he's healthy. It's why he sought a second opinion, with Michael Gross disputing the Yankees' original MRI of a strained quadriceps. The Yankees were enraged, accusing Rodriguez of violating his contract and the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Rodriguez flatly denied the charge. He telephoned Levine at 11 p.m. Tuesday, according to a person close to Rodriguez but unauthorized to speak publicly, to inform him that he was seeking a second opinion. Simply, he said, he does not trust Yankee doctor Chris Ahmad.

Levine, according to a high-ranking Yankee executive but unauthorized to speak publicly, confirmed that Rodriguez indeed called, but only after getting the second opinion, and refused to even provide his doctor's name.

"I think the Yankees and I crossed signals,'' Rodriguez said in an afternoon statement. "I don't want any more mix-ups. I'm excited and ready to play and help this team win a championship.

"I feel great and I'm ready and want to be in the lineup Friday night.

"Enough doctors, let's play.''

So the Yankees examined Rodriguez again on Thursday, this time with Dan Murphy in Tampa. He confirmed the original diagnosis of a Grade 1 quadriceps strain.

Then, they rounded everyone up on the phone -- Cashman, Levine, rehab trainer Tom Lentych, Rodriguez and his attorney, Jordan Siev, and talked 15 minutes. They determined, Cashman said, that Rodriguez would play in a rehab or simulated game Aug. 1, and if healthy, could soon be on his way back to New York.

"He said he was on board with it," Cashman said on a conference call with New York reporters. "We walked him through it, along with his attorney, who was on the phone. He understood it. He understands the process. He reiterated on his end that players just want to play. If it was his choice, he'd be out there Friday, but that's not responsible. â?¦

"We'd like him to play if he could play. We're just trying to get him to a point where he can responsibly be healthy and a capable player for us.

"Hopefully, that date can happen rather soon."

And hopefully the announcement of Major League Baseball's suspensions, Cashman failed to mention, is even sooner.

The next time the Yankees want to see Rodriguez wearing a uniform is at an old-timers game.